Exes Revisited
by JRob41319
Summary: When Detective Tom Demming makes a comeback, will it push Rick and Kate together, or farther apart? Set after Headhunters.
1. Chapter 1

_A.N: Hey guys, I have been planning on writing this for quite awhile, and I finally got around to it. I thought I should probably get it up before Always, because after that people may be a little distracted. Hope you like it._

* * *

It had been a long hot summer in New York City, and a busy one for the NYPD. It seems that the heat makes people a little crazy; when it rises, so does the crime rate.

Detective Kate Beckett and the rest of her team had been going non-stop since the minute the calendars changed from June to July. They worked nights, weekends and almost every other moment in between.

One night in early August, the team is finally granted a night off. They had just wrapped up a triple homicide and were due for a break. Ryan rushed home to Jenny immediately, while Esposito muttered something about dropping some evidence off at the morgue before scurrying off.

Kate and Rick were left standing alone in the bullpen, unsure what to do.

'Well it's funny, now that we are finally getting a night off, I don't feel tired anymore' Kate laughes nervously. 'Do you want to grab a burger at Remy's?'

'I'm sure it's just all that coffee you've had. As soon as your head hits the pillow, you'll be out' Rick replies brushing her off. 'We should both head home and get some sleep', and with that he picks up his coat and heads for the elevator.

Kate stands in front of her desk shocked for a minute and then sets off towards the stairs. The last thing she wants right now is an awkward elevator ride with Castle.

Things had been so strained between them lately; it was almost as if he was pulling away. He rarely showed up at the precinct anymore, and when he did he usually had his bimbo of the week hanging on his arm. Kate didn't understand his sudden change but she suspected it had something to do with her. She waited too long, and he is moving on.

All week she had been trying to talk to him, tell him how she feels, but something always interrupted them- a break in the case, the boys, or one of his bimbos.

Kate has to admit that he was right, she is tired, but she knows that she won't be able to sleep tonight. She picks up Chinese on the way home and half an hour later she is curled up on the couch, clean, warm, and with a full belly.

She tries and tries but sleep won't come, her mind will not shut off. All she can think about is him, _Rick_. She wants so bad to fix things, to make it right, but it is too late.

She flips on the TV, there is nothing on but infomercials. Turning it off she slumps into the cushions, and lets her thoughts run wild.

* * *

Sleep finally takes her around 3 am, but she is only granted fifteen blissful minutes before the ring of her cell phone jolts her awake.

'Beckett' she mumbles into the phone.

'Yo we've got another one' Esposito's voice bellows at her through the speaker. 'Looks like a home invasion. Upscale apartment on Central Park West; looks like a B&E gone wrong.'

'Okay' she replies, 'Give me twenty.' And with that she pulls herself off the couch, flipping on the coffee pot on her way to find clothes.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Kate pulls up at the crime scene. Espo had been right; it is a very fancy building, far beyond anything her pay grade could afford. Beckett notices the boys standing near the entrance to the building. She feels a pang in her heart when she notices Castle isn't with them. She will just have to learn to deal with it- him not showing up. Schooling her features she strolls over to them.

'What have we got?' she inquires.

'Vic's name is Veronica Callahan, late twenties. Husband came home around 2 and found her.' Ryan relays.

'Anything missing?' she asks as she follows the boys to the apartment.

"Jewellery, electronics, and some expensive art; we've put a call into Robbery, and someone should stop by and see us when we get back to the precinct.' Esposito replies.

'Hey where's the Writer Monkey?' Ryan adds, earning him a head slap and a look from Esposito.

'He didn't pick up, I left a message' Beckett mumbles. She is hit with a wave of sadness at the thought of working this case without him, but she pushes that aside and switches back to work mode as soon as she walks into the crime scene.

* * *

Back at the precinct Detective Tom Demming sits in the Homicide break room sipping that fancy espresso he had missed so much. He is waiting for Detective Beckett to come back from the crime scene. Much to his dismay he has been the Robbery detective assigned to her new case. He has no idea how working with her on this case will go. He'd be lying if he said he didn't still have feelings for her, but she broke-up with him and he is trying to move on.

* * *

At the same time downstairs Richard Castle is stepping into the elevator on his way up to the homicide floor. He has made a decision that this will be his last case with Detective Becket and he is really going to try to make the best of it. He can be friendly with Kate, he tells himself. But as he steps off the elevator he sees something that stops him in hi tracks. Demming. What is he doing here, Rick thinks as he walks towards the break room.

'Detective Demming, what brings up to our break room?' Castle asks as nonchalant as he can manage.

'Castle… Um hey… Just waiting for Kate actually, I need to talk to her.' Demming replies.

At the mention of Kate, Castle's face falls. Does Demming want her back? Is he here to tell her he made a mistake in breaking-up with her? He feels a pang of jealousy, before he remembers that she doesn't love him; she lied about hearing his confession and she is too nice to turn him down. That jealousy is quickly replaced with anger, if he can't have her why should Demming get the chance to win her back!

'Really you are going to try to get her back?' Rick snarls at him. 'Don't you think you hurt her enough when you broke up with her? You don't deserve to get another chance.'

'First of all, I am here on a case, not that I wouldn't love to get her back' Demming replies calmly. 'Second, I think that you've got it wrong, didn't she tell you how things ended?'

'Tell me what' Castle iquires, suddenly more interested. But before Demming can say anymore, Detective Beckett and her team are stepping off the elevators, and heading towards the break room.

* * *

_A.N: So thoughts? Should I continue with this? Any suggestions? Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N: Hey guys! Wow, I seriously did not expect the response I got to the last chapter, but all your kind words just made me want to get this up that much faster!_

_I have had a couple of questions about when this is supposed to be set. It is sort of set post Headhunters, where all the anger and hurt is still there. I am kinda ignoring the end scene of Undead Again, and everything that is supposed to happen in Always._

_Also I forgot to mention this last chapter but the victim in this fic, Veronica Callahan, is named after a character from a show I used to love! It only lasted one season, sadly, but I loved it! Anyways I bought it the other weekend and have been rewatching it. So if anyone can guess what show that name is from you win something awesome... probably just my respect._

_So without further ado... I present chapter 2._

* * *

"Coffee first, then we can start chasing down leads" Beckett grumbles to the boys as they walk towards the break room.

Esposito's the first to enter, and when he sees Rick and Demming locked in conversation he stops abruptly in the doorway.

"You know Becks, this coffee is pretty gross, maybe we should just grab some from the place down the street" Espo says trying to block her view of the two men.

"Oh come on Espo it's not that bad, just let me grab some quick" she urges trying to push past him.

Before Esposito can respond Ryan notices the two men in the break room. "Hey Castle's here!" he exclaims.

At that, both Castle and Demming turn towards the break room door, and Esposito clamps his hand over Ryan's mouth. Beckett finally manages to push past the boys and into the break room; and when she sees Castle and Demming standing there staring back at her she freezes.

"Castle!" she breathes, a smile dancing on her lips before she notices the angered expression spreading across his face, and the smile falls. "I-I didn't think you were going to be working this one with us. I left a message, but you never called back…" she manages to get out, completely ignoring the other man in the break room.

"Yeah I got it, I thought that you might be back already, so I would just meet you here" he replies coldly. "I didn't know that you would have _company_."

Upon that comment Beckett finally notices Detective Demming standing there looking both confused and out of place.

"Tom… what are you doing here?" she inquires, trying to read Castle's expression.

"I've been assigned to consult with you on the Callahan case. No one called and told you?" he replies.

"No, no one told me. Well we don't have any leads right now, so why don't you head back downstairs and I will call you if we get anything." she tells him focussing her attention back to Castle.

"Well Kate I was also hoping we could talk…" Demming pushes, trying to get her to look at him. But she wont her eyes are set on Rick, the man standing across the break room doing everything he can to avert her gaze.

"I'm kinda busy right now, can it wait" she replies still not paying attention to him. "Hey uh Castle can I talk to you for a second?" she enquires trying to get his attention.

"Why don't you grab your coffee and the boys can bring me up to speed on the case" he responds placing his phone in his pocket and heads towards the door. The boys exchange glances and then reluctantly follow Castle out of the break room, leaving only Kate and Demming.

"Kate…" Demming starts.

"What!" she snaps at him.

"Look I just wanted to talk to you… I heard that you and the Doctor broke up, and it looks like there is nothing going on with you and the writer…" he trails off.

"What are you getting at?" she demands.

"Look Kate, I know it's been almost two years, but I'm not over you. And well… I was hoping that we could give this another shot?" he tells her.

"Oh Tom…" she says her voice softening slightly. "I'm sorry, but I don't have feelings for you anymore. We broke up… I'm in love with someone else."

"It's the writer isn't it?" he asks. He doesn't need an answer, because the look on her face tells him everything he needs to know. "Kate you deserve better than someone who won't even give you the time of day!"

"He loves me too!" she cries. "But I messed things up. He deserves better than me!"

"Well Kate if that is really how you feel I am happy for you, but I am always here if you change your mind" he states, switching back into his business mode. "I suppose we should start chasing these leads" and with that he too exits the break room and Kate is left standing completely alone.

* * *

Castle is sitting in his chair next to Kate's desk watching her and Demming through the window of the break room, ignoring the details of the case the boys are currently throwing at him. She looks like she is getting really worked up, at one point it even looks like she is yelling at him. Finally Demming exits the break room, and Kate leans back against the counter looking completely defeated. In fact the more he stares the more it looks like she is trying to hide tears. But no, Beckett couldn't be crying, why would she be crying?

He thinks back to his altercation with Demming in the break room. _'You've got it wrong; didn't she tell you how things ended?' _Got what wrong? What didn't she tell him about how things ended?

He went to the Hamptons for the summer; she was going on a weekend getaway with him. When he came back after the summer they were already over. He had always assumed that things hadn't gone great on the getaway and when they got back Demming had ended it. That was what happened… wasn't it?

He isn't too sure anymore, but he sure as hell plans to find out. He spots Demming over by the murder board discussing the case with the boys, Beckett still hasn't emerged from the break room. Rick remains in his chair with his eyes glued to Demming, pondering his next move. He needs to talk to him, find out what he was going to say, but it needs to be the right time.

After a few minutes Demming excuses himself and sets off towards the bathroom. Seeing his chance, Rick rises from his chair and follows the Detective in.

* * *

_A.N: So there it is. Any thoughts? Comments? Should I bother continuing, or will everyone just stop caring after Always? Please let me know. Please review!_


End file.
